Get Ready for Wolfram|Alpha

A parent of a West End student sent an e-mail to me knowing that I have an interest in mathematics education. She was sharing information about a new website -- a "computational knowledge engine" -- called Wolfram|Alpha.

This is an amazing site that will require some rethinking of how mathematics teachers at all levels approach their work with students.

Here is the site: Wolfram|Alpha


ALSO: Here is a copy from a college mathematics instructors blog site. It provides some additional summary information:

Don’t get W|A Implications? Try these examples.

Wolfram|Alpha is a “computational search engine” built by Wolfram Research (the developers of Mathematica). W|A (pronounce this as “walpha” if you’d like) is similar in appearance to the search engines that we are used to and easy to use. It’s not that W|A will replace other search engines, because it won’t. It’s more of a missing piece in the search engine puzzle. W|A provides a collection of data, formulas, computations, and interpretations that are different from other search engines.

Although the media has stressed data-driven examples (for example, type your first name to see a graph of the frequency of that name over time), the ability of W|A to function as a combination of CAS and natural language computational system is stunning. Let me illustrate with a couple of examples for you to try yourself. Simply follow the links below to see how W|A handles these search requests:

• 126 (make sure to click on “other historical numerals”)
• convert 125 m^3 to gallons
• sphere r=7 cm
• Line (2,7) and (3,1/2)
• Solve x^2-6x=16 (make sure to click on “show steps”)
• 4 – x^2
• Triangle 7,8,9
• x^2-y^2=9
• limit x->3 (x-3)/(x^2-9) (again, make sure to click on “show steps”)
• integral (x^2)sin(x^3) (“show steps”)
• sum 1/n^2
• New York City, Chicago
• convert 78 to base 5

There are several differences between W|A and traditional CAS systems. The first, which you should have noticed after those examples, is that the less you ask for, the more you get. W|A just assumes you want all relevant computations and information that it can generate: graphs, solutions, alternate forms, derivatives, integrals, area under the curve (if bounded), and steps (if they are available). W|A provides quick and painless access to all sorts of data that has been organized so that it can be cross-referenced. In this sense, W|A could be a valuable tool for us in helping students to see the connections between concepts within mathematics and in relating mathematics to the real world.

On the other hand, you’re probably also seeing that there could be implications with academic dishonesty, especially in online and hybrid courses. We will all have to individually decide whether W|A is off limits, and if so, how we can possibly enforce it. Ready or not, W|A is now available on any computer with Internet access and on most SmartPhones.

It is up to us to think about (with as much advanced notice as possible) how we want to embrace, adopt, accommodate, or regulate the use of W|A in our courses. This is a conversation we should have in every department at every level of mathematics, including both full-time and part-time instructors. It is a conversation that we should have with our colleagues in the partner disciplines and with our colleagues at our transfer institutions.

http://teachingcollegemath.com

PTSA Holiday House Tour

The Jr.-Sr. High School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will be hosting the Holiday House Tour in December 2009. The group is currently looking for Woodbury homes to finalize the list of houses that will be part of the tour for this upcoming holiday season.

The house tour is set for Saturday, December 5th from 3 to 8 pm.

Currently, five individuals have committed to having their homes included. PTSA is looking for a few more to add to the tour.

Anyone interested can call Mrs. Gail Parham at 845-4824 or Mrs. Linda Lonabaugh at 853-7705.

Senior High School visitors to Evergreen

(A posting from the Jr.-Sr. High School R.E.B.E.L. club)


On Wednesday, June 10, 2009 a group of Woodbury High School’s R.E.B.E.L. anti-tobacco club (Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies) visited Ms. Lyons and Ms. Frazier’s second-grade classes.

R.E.B.E.L. students explained who they were and the purpose of their club before reading An Uninvited Guest, a story about the dangers of secondhand smoke, to students. Each student received a copy of the book to take home and discuss with his/her family. Evergreen students are helping R.E.B.E.L. spread their “Clear the Air” message by toting their themed backpacks and pencils! The students also enjoyed a visit by the R.E.B.E.L. mascot, “Ciggy Butts” who distributed Frisbees and “Smarties Don’t Use Tobacco” packs to students.

Thank you Mrs. Breland, Ms. Frazier and Ms. Lyons for welcoming us into your classrooms!

[See more about New Jersey R.E.B.E.L.]

Fresh Produce every Thursday

(This information comes from the City . . . )

Thursday afternoons

2:00 pm to 6:00 pm

in the train station parking lot

Today is Opening Day for the Farmers Market.

There will be many returning farmers & vendors, and some new ones too!

Our friends “One Way Express” will be playing their tunes

and let’s all HOPE that the sun will be out (or at least that it won’t rain).

OUR MARKET VENDORS

Darmo’s Farm – corn, tomatoes, eggplants & peppers

Del’s Delights – hand crafted soaps, balms and creams

Henri’s Hotts Barbeque – Texas style smoked ribs, brisket & chicken

La Baguette French Bakery – French bread, croissants, tarts & turnovers

Monteleone Farm - produce, melons & greens

Muth Farm Flowers– field grown cut flowers

Orchardview Farm – peaches, apples, pears and produce

Pleasant Valley Farm – berries, cherries, plums and herbs

S & S Kitchens - home made fruit breads, jams & pickles

See you at the Market.

Buy FRESH and buy LOCAL at the Woodbury Farmers Market.

Bring a friend ... tell a friend

Board of Education Meeting -- Wednesday, June 17

The regular, monthly meeting of the Woodbury Board of Education will be held today, June 17, at 7:00 p.m.

The board meetings are held in the Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium. Entrance to the building can be made through the lobby doors by the auditorium, across from the Cap Paine gymnasium.

At this June meeting, a Junior High School homeroom will present an overview of the Developmental Designs activities that have become part of the opening day routine on Fridays. The Board of Education will also be addressing a change in the bell schedule for the Junior High School -- arrival 15 minutes earlier each day -- to allow a fuller implementation of Developmental Designs during the 2009-10 school year.

The agenda for the board meeting is posted on the district website. (agenda)

World Language Honor Celebration

(a posting from the High School World Language Department)

It is a Woodbury Language Department tradition to honor the students who have achieved a grade point average of 90 or better for each of the marking periods. These students are dedicated, enthusiastic and pleasure to have in class. They have a passion for language, and it is evident. We as a department recognize all of their hard work and as a small token of appreciation we honor them at the end of each academic year.

Re-Use-A-Palooza

(posting and pictures provided by the 5th grade teachers!)


On Thursday, May 28th, fifth grade students from all three elementary schools in the district met at West End to celebrate the completion of a science unit on Environmental Education. The celebration, Re-Use-A-Palooza, allowed these fifth graders to become more aware of ways in which the world can reuse, reduce, and recycle products. The objective was to create and advertise a product made from recyclable materials that could be useful in everyday life.

Parents, teachers, and students gathered in the West End auditorium. Projects were displayed, and ballots were cast to select the most creative, functional, and best use of recycled material project. Enrichment students, Rachael Sima, K’Yanna Wesley, and Ryan Toole, also presented a Power Point presentation on pollution.

The event was a huge success with over two hundred in attendance. Awards went to

• Walnut: Laura Knecht, Mariani Torres, Joelle Murray -- “Special K Music Kit”,
• West End: Jessica Rolfing, Isabella Minniti, and Sarah Juliano --“Bird Condo”, and
• Evergreen: Ta’Hee Shields, Sha’Kir Hollingsworth, and Derek Lane -- “Re-Use-A-Boat.”

It was clear that all fifth graders learned from this meaningful experience while having fun.

Two Posts

Check out the two postings below about Woodbury events this weekend -- Friday and Saturday.

Epple Children's Garden -- Saturday

Please consider joining the Woodbury Rotary as they dedicate and open the . . .

~Epple Children’s Garden~
honoring the memory of pediatrician
Dr. Lawrence K. Epple

and his beloved wife
Nancy Johnson-Epple
on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Garden opens 9:30am; dedication 11:00am.

Bring a bulb or flower…children will be able to plant a flower in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Epple.


For more information or questions, visit the Woodbury Rotary website (http://www.WoodburyNJRotary.org/) Rotary Park on Barber Ave. is near the Evergreen Ave. intersection.

Friday June 12th – Broad Street Activities

• Woodfest
• Taste of Woodbury
• Imaginart

All activities will go on rain or shine.

The Taste of Woodbury will feature food samplings from 18 different vendors at 15 locations along Broad Street. Tickets for the Taste cost $15 and may be purchased at city hall, the Woodbury Library, Woodbury Antique Centre or Foxfire Accessories. The Taste runs from 6:00-9:00.

All Woodfest activities are free. Restaurants and shops participating in the Taste will also be open for regular customers.

Finally, come and checkout the unveiling of the Greater Woodbury Art Council’s latest art project, Imaginart, featuring artistic window displays throughout Broad Street.


Here is the schedule of Woodfest events:

• Too Blue Dogs-- blues and cover band; La Piazza di Scottos Presbyterian Church
• Mr. Tujays.-- classic rock band; Kemble Methodist Church
• Toni Bennecchi with Raymond Sanborn -- keyboards strings, vocals and more; Woodbury Antique Center
• Karaoke; White House Building
• Karin McGarry and Heidi Louis -- classical and other selections for the flute and cello; The Spot
• The Junkyard Dogs – six-piece band playing a wide variety of musical genres; Presbyterian Church
• 5th Block -- five decades of rock and roll; Veteran’s Park/Goodwill Bldng


In addition to the musical performances Woodfest ’09 will offer the following FREE activities:

Family Activities:
6:30-7:00 Story time with Mrs. J -- story time and a light craft at the Taste of Philly Pretzels
7:00-9:00 Bead Crafts at Foxfire Accessories.
7:00-9:00 Sidewalk Chalk Art and Face Painting in front of The Antique Center or G.G. Green Building.

Poetry Series:
Poetry open mike at Taste of Philly Pretzels from 7:30-9:00.

Woodbury Students at City Council

One parent e-mailed me to state the following:

Mr. Jones, My husband and I attended the City Council Meeting last night. Our school should be very proud. What a wonderful group of students selected to represent Woodbury High School. Their self confidence, poise, and knowledge of government was overwhelming. I was not only proud as a parent, but also as a member of the Woodbury school system. Please thank Mrs. Goode and Mr. Ford, they have certainly done a great job. If you go to the city website they have already posted the group picture and writeup from last night.

Interesting, I heard from at least two other individuals who were there and they provided very similar feedback. How exciting!

Here is the picture and caption from the city's website:

Several students attending Woodbury High School assisted in conducting the business of the governing body at the regular Council Meeting of the City of Woodbury on Monday, June 8, 2009. This is the 8th year for this program, which was started by Councilwoman Roberta Schreyer, who passed away earlier this year.

The students were given an overview of City government by the Mayor, City Council Members and City officials. Students then asked questions to officials in an open forum discussion and later participated in the regular City Council meeting.

The following Students participated – Ted Johnson, James Jones, Mansara Hassan, James Torres, Zoe Mowl, Kyle Parham, Zachary Sharp, Christian Schoning, Renia Singleton, Helen Cromwell and Reshetta Roundtree. Elected Officials pictured include – Mayor Robert Curtis, Council President Barry Sloane, Councilwomen Gwendolyn Brown and Heather Tierney, Councilmen Tom Louis, Bill Fleming, Joe Villari, Harry Trout and Patrick Pottillo. Also present are – Gloria Goode, School Social Worker, Tom Bowe, City Administrator, Roy Duffield, Assessor and Gail Scheffler, Registrar.

Fruit and Vegetable Program

West End Elementary school was selected to participated in the United States Department of Agriculture's Fruit & Vegetable program for the 2009-10 school year. This is the same program that Evergreen Avenue School benefited from this year.

See today's Gloucester County Times article for a bit more information.

Ronald McDonald House of South Jersey

I received a flier recently from the Ronald MacDonald House of South Jersey regarding their "Snack Drive." The flier states the following -- "Help us help families needing to visit one of our 14 Family Rooms in 8 Southern NJ Hospitals."

Items they are collecting include individual snack packages of crackers, pretzels, chips, and breakfast bars; fruit & pudding cups; microwave soups; juice boxes and water.

For more information you can contact them at dawn@ronaldhouse-snj.org or 856-966-4663.

Shakespeare was never like this!

On Thursday of last week, the ninth-grade Honors English students performed a mock trial to determine the guilt of Tybalt in the death of Mercutio.

These same students studied, interpreted and performed the next day some of the key scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Teacher Maria Lario directed the students to stay true to the story while creatively intrepreting the scene. The students were allowed to alter time period and setting. The performances were part of Make-it-Shakespeare day - a culminating celebration of the students' study of the influential writer.

Light Rail Meeting: June 11th, 6:30 p.m.

Rail line open house meetings set for Camden, Woodbury, Blackwood and Glassboro

by Gloucester County Times

Wednesday June 03, 2009, 9:17 AM

CAMDEN -- Proposals for regional transit will be examined at four open houses scheduled by the Delaware River Port Authority.

The proposed plan, endorsed in May by Gov Jon S. Corzine, includes a light rail line from Camden to Glassboro with stations in Gloucester City, Woodbury and Pitman; a Bus Rapid Transit system utilizing Routes 42 and 55; and improving connections with New Jersey Transit's Atlantic City Rail Line.

The open house format will allow those who are interested to view the plans in detail and speak directly with officials about the proposed projects.

All of the open houses will take place between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., with the first on June 10 at Rutgers University, Main Lounge of the Campus Center, 326 Penn St. in Camden.

The second open house will be the following day, June 11, at the Woodbury High School Cafeteria, 25 N. Broad St. in Woodbury.

The third open house will be June 17 at Camden County College Civic Hall located in the Connector Building, 200 College Drive in Blackwood.

The fourth and final open house will be June 18t at Rowan University's Chamberlain Student Center, 201 Mullica Hill Road, in Glassboro.

. . . This is an important issue for the Woodbury community. There is good, introductory information, with maps included, at nj.com.

$1.7 Million Dollars Short

Late last week, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the new funding formula for education in the state of New Jersey was constitutional. In many ways, this is good news for Woodbury. Though many districts are finding fault with the new formula, the new calculations in this formula take into account factors that are favorable to Woodbury.

We experienced a significant increase in aid for the 2008-09 school year and that resulted in a strong tax decrease for our residents. Unfortunately, though the formula indicated that a similar increase in aid should have been received by Woodbury for this upcoming 2009-10 school year, the governor determined to cap all districts receiving increases at 5%.

Thus, the issue begins to sound similar to problems with past school funding plans in New Jersey -- a formula not fully funded.

The article from the Gloucester County Times linked to this blog entry notes that, "The court said the constitutionality of the funding formula is based on the condition that the state continues providing the necessary amount of money required under the law."

That's interesting -- and something that we will be pursuing. We would like to see the formula provide the necessary amount of money required under the law. For Wooodbury, that would mean an additional 1.7 million dollars for next year.

I will keep you posted on our efforts to highlight this concern for those who are in a position to help.

GCT Article

Lunch Munch Today

First Week of June

This is a busy week with evening activities for the Jr.-Sr. High School . . .

Monday -- Senior High Choir Concert (8 p.m.)
Wednesday -- Senior Students vs. Faculty Basketball Game (6 p.m.)
Thursday -- Junior High Choir Concert (8 p.m.)

Also, all of our schools are closed on Tuesday for the New Jersey primary elections. The elementary schools are all used for the purposes of the election.

Evening Library Hours– The Library is Open!

In our five-year strategic plan, there is a goal to provide evening hours in the library media center to our community. We started this in January 2009. The program continues to grow each week.

Junior and Senior high school students make up the list of users on most evenings; several elementary students are regular visitors as well.

The number of users is largely determined by school assignments; the volume is heavier when research projects are due across a grade level; tutoring sessions have been the most recent reason for many.

The majority of our users are there to use the internet – reading and composing emails – communicating to friends and teachers.

The Evening Library Hours program operates every Monday through Thursday; 5 – 7 p.m. This fills a void created when the Woodbury City library closes.

Adults are asked to provide identification upon admittance. The lobby doors by the auditorium on the Cap Paine side of the school should be used for entry.

This is a valuable opportunity for our community; we are happy to be able to serve you in this way!

CASA -- Court Appointed Special Advocates

I heard an interesting presentation the other week at a county-wide meeting of superintendents. The executive director of the organization CASA -- Court Appointed Special Advocates -- spoke about her program.

CASA provides volunteer advocates for the abused and neglected children of Gloucester County.

CASAs are trained volunteers, appointed by the court to investigate specific cases and report their findings and recommendations. CASA was only able to serve 97 children of the 900 children with cases of child abuse and neglect in 2008 due to a shortage of volunteers.

Volunteers complete thirty hours of initial training plus twelve hours of continuing education per year and are asked to give a minimum of ten hours per month for investigation, communication, and reporting. They are also asked to appear in court on the child's behalf and present their findings to the court.

There was a sense that this may be a wonderful volunteer effort for a retired teacher. Obviously, if anyone has the time and interest, they would welcome the contact.

• CASA serves Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties and can be found at www.cumberlandcasa.com.

• Deanna L. Davis, Executive Director, can be reached at 856-459-0061 or dldavis@cumberlandcasa.com.

Woodfest '09 this Friday

The first Woodfest '09 event a couple weeks ago was a success. Now, the second performance week of Woodfest is coming up this Friday evening.

There will be six musical acts this week, as well as kid's activities, poetry readings and an art display.

Things kick off with children's story time at Taste of Philly Pretzels at 6:30 with music and other activities beginning at 7:00.

Here is the full schedule of activities and locations:

FRIDAY, May 29

Music

1. Saints of Sedition-Hard rock band. This young but enthusiastic group of rockers returns after two Presbyterian Church performances last year. Check them out at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=178309817;

2. The Crates-Classic rock/indie band. For more information on The Crates go to www.myspace.com/thecratesband ; Kemble Methodist Church

3. Barry Dwier-blues guitar, vocals and harmonica; La Piazza di Scottos

4. The McGeehan's-Irish music; The Spot

5. Karaoke; White House Building

6. Mike Plunkett Classical guitar, Irish music and more; Woodbury Antique Center

In addition to the musical performances Woodfest '09 will offer the following additional activities:

Family Fun Activities

Come and enjoy these fun, FREE activities for families:

6:30-7:00-Story time with Mrs. J which will feature story time and a light craft at the Taste of Philly Pretzels.

7:10-7:30-Twist your Own Pretzels at Taste of Philly.

7:45 Chocolate-Making Tour at The Nut Shop.

8:15-8:45 Bead Crafts at Foxfire Accessories.

7:00-9:00 Sidewalk Chalk Art in front of The Antique Center or G.G. Green Building.

Plein Air Art Display

View a selection of works in front of the Woodbury Antique Center from the Greater Woodbury Arts Council's recent Plein Air event.

Poetry Series

On May 29 our Wordwise Poetry Series features a special presentation, Women's Voices, presenting the original works of several women poets followed by a poetry open mike at Taste of Philly Pretzels from 7:30-9:00.

(For more information and future performance schedules go to mainstreetwoodbury.org.)

Reminder: Thursday Night Pizza @ DiScotto's

Tomorrow night (Thursday, May 28th) is the 6th Grade Enrichment Pizza Night at Di Scotto’s Pizza.

Di Scotto Pizza has agreed to donate 15% of the profit from our supporters to our 6th Grade Enrichment cause.

Our students have decided they would like to donate the money to Mother/Child Residential Program located on Broad Street in Woodbury. The Mother/Child Residential Program provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for pregnant women and women with children as well as counseling services and educational support.

The 6th grade Enrichment class would like to invite you and your family to come out and support their endeavor to make a difference. Bring your family and friends to Di Scotto Pizza on Broad Street anytime after 4:00 p.m. and let them know that you are there to support the Woodbury Jr. High’s 6th Grade Enrichment class. Fifteen percent of your check will be donated.

We thank you in advance for your support and for helping to make a difference in the fight against poverty!

Summer Bookbag – Read 5 and Thrive!

Our Acadmic Coach for Literacy, Camille Introcaso, has posted an article for parents on the Curriculum Page of the district's website (www.woodburysch.com).

This follows the mathematics suggestions posted earlier. Each is a Part I piece -- a second article on each topic is still to follow.


Catching Up With Curriculum

Helpful suggestions from the Curriculum Office of Woodbury Public Schools

Parents: Partners in Writing - April 14, 2009

Summer Solving (part 1) By: Katherine Estep, Mathematics Coach K-5 - May 7, 2009

Summer Bookbag – Read 5 and Thrive!(part 1) By: Camille Introcaso,Literacy Coach, K-5 -May 21, 2009

Rowan Urban Teacher Academy

Rowan Urban Teachers Academy -- free to junior high school students -- has extended the deadline application to June 1st.

Rowan Urban Teacher Academy

August 3rd - 14th, 2009

The Rowan University Urban Teacher Academy is offered to high school juniors interested in becoming urban teachers and/or teachers in high shortage subject areas.This program is designed to attract students to the field of education through exposure to curriculum and practicum experiences that focus on teaching.

A national shortage of teachers is predicted over the next decade due to student enrollment increases, teacher retirements, turnover, and career changes. Studies suggest that two million teachers will be needed nationally over the next ten years, while traditional teacher preparation programs will have a million teachers in the pipeline. Teacher shortages will be particularly acute in urban schools and in subjects such as science, special education, world languages, bilingual, and early childhood. Rowan University’s Urban Teacher Academy aims to encourage today’s high school students to become tomorrow’s teachers as strategy toward resolving this shortfall.

Completed applications are due by June 1, 2009.

Download application

A Special Visit to our School

(This entry was submitted by Ms. Julie Capodanno, Woodbury's English as a Second Language teacher.)


Sergeant Ed Alicea from Glassboro visited Woodbury Junior - Senior High School on April 22 to share his life story including multiple moves from New York to Puerto Rico, attending twelve different schools before graduating, and being a former gang member.

Sergeant Alicea has served the Glassboro Police Department for over twenty years. During his tenure he has been a DARE officer for over twenty (20) years; a School Resource Officer, and an undercover narcotics officer. He is a certified instructor in several areas: Firearms, Honor Guard, Suicide Bomber Identification, Prevention, Terrorism, Cults, and the Occult, and Gangs. Sergeant Alicea currently teaches at Police Academies throughout the State of New Jersey.

In addition to his law enforcement career with the Glassboro Police, Sergeant Alicea served twelve years – traveling the world -- with the United States Marine Corps. His duties include Machine Gunner, Platoon Sergeant, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare Instructor, and Presidential Honor Guard for President Regan's visit to Glassboro in 1986. Sergeant Alicea holds a BA and is currently working on a Masters in Home Land Security.

Sergeant Alicea spent over an hour sharing his story with Ms. Capodanno’s ESL students and other students outside of the program; the message was simple: You can always turn your life around and be a positive influence for others.

Basketball @ Evergreen

(Blog entry submitted by: Mr. Soper, Evergreen Grade 3 Teacher)


Thursday April 30, 2009 marked the exciting conclusion of the first annual March Madness reading program at Evergreen Avenue School. Over sixty students rose to the challenge of reading for at least 400 minutes in the month of March. As a reward for their diligent reading efforts, over sixty students in third, fourth, and fifth grade took to the basketball court to challenge an all-star squad of teachers. It was an exciting event to cap an excellent reading effort by the participants and fun was clearly had by all!



The students, divided into 8 teams, put forth a formidable effort against their teachers. Over the course of the game there were several lead changes as the students were constantly in hot pursuit of the much taller and much more experienced teacher team. 4th Grade teacher Mrs. Costello led all scorers in the first half (however was notably absent from the defensive stat sheets). 5th Grade teacher Mr. Richardson’s jump-shot caught fire in the second half to help add a cushion to the teachers’ lead. Late in the game, the teachers appeared tired as they missed dozens of defensive rebounds. These slips in focus allowed the students to climb back to a deficit as small as two points before the teacher’s regained composure and were able to secure the 69-63 win.


There have already been murmurings of “rematch” heard in the Evergreen halls.

Board of Education Meeting -- Wednesday, May 20

The regular, monthly meeting of the Woodbury Board of Education will be held this Wednesday, May 20th, at 7:00 p.m. (Today!)

The board meetings are held in the Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium. Entrance to the building can be made through the lobby doors by the auditorium, across from the Cap Paine gymnasium.

The agenda for the board meeting is posted on the district website. (agenda)

At the May meeting, the West End Memorial School will present an overview of some activities that have been happening at the school during this 2008-09 school year.

Minority Task Force

Woodbury City Public Schools Minority Task Force meets tonight for its last meeting of the 2008-09 school year.

These are productive meetings that help advance the district for the good of all. You are welcome to attend, even if this would be the first meeting for you. All are welcome -- parents, students, teachers . . . anyone and everyone with an interest.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:00 p.m in the Jr.-Sr. High School Library. The exterior doors by the auditorium, across from the Cap Paine gymnasium, will be open.

6th Grade Enrichment Projects

(This update was provided by the 6th Grade Enrichment teachers, Ms. Emenecker and Ms. Cammarato.)

Some community members may have already heard about the dynamic efforts going on with our 6th Grade Enrichment. The class recently worked on a unit about poverty. As a way of wrapping up the unit our students broke out into four groups. Each group was to create and implement an activity to help people living in poverty.



The first group planned an activity where they made food for the homeless. This was made possible due to the incredible work of Bob and JoAnn Miller. The Miller family assists Diane Bradley with running a program called The Camden Lunch Mission out of the Central Baptist Church. Volunteers meet on Saturday mornings at the church and then proceed to Camden to hand out 100 lunches consisting of 2 sandwiches, cookies, a piece of fruit, and a bottle of water directly to homeless men and women. Many organizations that provide food Monday through Friday are closed on the weekends, which is what sparked the idea for this mission. Their "regulars" know they can rely on The Saturday Lunch Group for a meal every week. Mrs. Chandler's class, from our high school, with the help of Bob Miller, joins The Camden Lunch Mission on the 3rd Friday of each month. The students prepare food for the lunches that are packed on Saturday mornings. On Friday, April 17 the 6th grade Enrichment class joined Mrs. Chandler’s class in making 100 lunches which were refrigerated and given out in Camden on Saturday. Some of the comments the students made while reflecting on the experience were:
“I really liked making sandwiches because it was a team effort. I want to help more often.” “I learned that helping people makes me feel better about myself.” “I learned that helping other people is a good thing to do and fun and made me think of people differently.” “Because of this experience I learned about how just by giving food to people who need it can possibly change their lives.”



Our second group chose to plan a bake sale after school which was held on Wednesday, April 22nd. The students created signs promoting the bake sale and hung them throughout the building as well as distributed them to homeroom teachers. Each student from the Enrichment class along with some Jr. High teachers brought in baked goods that were individually packaged to be sold after school. There was a huge assortment of food which included chocolate dipped pretzels, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and slices of cake. We are thrilled to announce that this group raised $170 which was then donated to The South Jersey Food Bank.




The third group from the class decided that they wanted to get the entire Jr. High in on the action. They came up with the idea of having a coin drive which they titled “Pennies for Poverty.” In this activity J. High homerooms competed against each other to see who could have the most pennies in their jar by the end of the week. The catch was that money other than pennies would be subtracted from the homerooms total number of pennies. Therefore, throughout the day the homeroom teacher’s other classes would come through and throw silver coins in the jars to subtract from that homerooms total number of pennies. At the end of the week the winning homerooms were Mrs. Rogers, 6th grade, with 2,516 pennies, Mrs. Stanfill, 7th grade, with 2,864 pennies and Mr. Blumenthal, 8th grade, with 2,239 pennies. We are blown away to announce that this activity raised a total of $700 which they have chosen to donate to The Camden Lunch Mission. The 6th grade Enrichment class was inspired by their experience on April 17th with Bob and JoAnn Miller and Mrs. Chandler’s class and they wanted to continue to help support this program which relies solely on donations of food, money, and time. JoAnn Miller told the 6th grade Enrichment teachers that, “Bob and I work with the high school children because we believe it's important for children to feel a sense of community and involvement. Besides learning some important life skills, we hope the students will come to realize they have the ability to change the world through simple actions. Making soup and sandwiches for the less fortunate brings a tremendous amount of hope to everyone involved. It's not a solution to homelessness, but it's a compassionate response.”




Our fourth and final group has decided to have a restaurant night. Thanks to the support of Di Scotto Pizza on Broad Street will be holding their activity on Thursday, May 28th. Di Scotto Pizza has agreed to donate 15% of the profit from our supporters to our 6th Grade Enrichment cause. Our students have decided they would like to donate the money to Mother/Child Residential Program located on Broad Street in Woodbury. The Mother/Child Residential Program provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for pregnant women and women with children as well as counseling services and educational support. The 6th grade Enrichment class would like to invite you and your family to come out and support their endeavor to make a difference. Bring your family and friends to Di Scotto Pizza on Broad Street anytime after 4:00 p.m. and let them know that you are there to support the Woodbury Jr. High’s 6th Grade Enrichment class. Fifteen percent of your check will be donated. We thank you in advance for your support and for helping to make a difference in the fight against poverty!

A Sojourn to the Far East

Promenade is a wonderful way to be a part of this year's Woodbury Jr.-Sr. Prom! This is a fun event for the entire Woodbury school community. Everyone is invited.

Join us tonight to experience "An Evening in the Orient" in the high school auditorium from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Come see all of our students dressed to the nines as they grace our Asian-themed stage.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children (17 and under) and senior citizens. All proceeds will benefit the Junior Class of 2010 and help defray the cost of promenade.

We look forward to seeing you tonight!

Boys Tennis Team Wins

Congratulations to the Woodbury High School boys tennis team. The team defeated Schalick by a score of 3-2 in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group I tournament yesterday. The teams' three points came from straight set victories by all three singles players: Christian Schoning, Nick Schoning, and Dave Carl.

Next up -- Today, May 13th -- the number one seeded Pitman team in the semi-final round (at Pitman).

Good luck!

Special Education Week in New Jersey

A special thanks to all who make a difference in the lives of our special needs students at Woodbury --

the teachers, aides, instructional assistants, secretaries, administrators, parents and consultants. We have many important individuals who positively impact our children on a daily basis. It is truly spectacular to see the opportunities afforded Woodbury students due to the unique training and cooperative spirit of all those involved.

Again -- thank you.

TRENTON, May 11, 2009 — Gov. Jon S. Corzine has proclaimed May 10-16 as Special Education Week in New Jersey.

Special Education Week recognizes the achievements of the state’s 244,000 students with special needs and the commitment of their parents and teachers. The New Jersey School Boards Association and ASAH, a non-profit organization representing private schools serving students with disabilities, have sponsored Special Education Week since 1985. This year’s theme is “Opening the Door to Success.”

“The public school districts and the private schools of New Jersey make a major contribution to the public welfare by preparing thousands of exceptional persons to participate as citizens of this state and as members of society,” states the governor’s proclamation.

“I call upon all citizens to recognize the achievements of New Jersey’s special education students and the outstanding contributions made by educators, school board members, schools and agencies for the handicapped and parents toward quality education for the exceptional citizens of our state,” the proclamation continues.

Summer Educational Ideas

Check out the "Curriculum" page on our website (under the District Information tab at the top of the home screen). There you will find some articles specifically for parents.

During May and June, the Curriculum Office will be posting a variety of articles to help infuse educational opportunities into the upcoming summer weeks. The most recent posting is one from our Elementary Academic Coach for Mathematics, Kathy Estep.

Below is what you will see on the curriculum page. You can get to the actual page directly by clicking here: Go To Curriculum Page

Catching Up With Curriculum

Helpful suggestions from the Curriculum Office of Woodbury Public Schools

Parents: Partners in Writing - April 14, 2009

Summer Solving (part 1) By: Katherine Estep, Mathematics Coach K-5 - May 7, 2009

Woodfest Returns -- Tonight

Hit the streets tonight for fun and music. Woodfest returns -- 7 p.m. through 9 p.m. with a special story time event held at 6:30 p.m.

Check out the article about the event that ran in a recent Gloucester County Times edition:

GCT article

The Main Street Woodbury website provides a schedule of activities:

Mainstreetwoodbury.org

Woodbury Public Library Program Tonight

Woodbury Public Library cordially invites you to a free program Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 7:00PM.

Tea: Steeped in Tradition

Local tea historian Linda Boyd and local tea company Greenwich Teaburners will talk tea. From English tradition and etiquette to tea types, styles and preparation techniques, our experts will make sure we know it all. Refreshments will be provided. Free and open to the public.

Please feel free to give a call to sign up at 856-845-2611 or e-mail at woodpublib@gmail.com.

My guess is that you can simply stop by if your evening allows! Enjoy.

Fifth Graders “Go Green”

This entry was provided by our elementary enrichment teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Foran.

You have probably heard by now that CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) light bulbs are better for the environment than incandescent light bulbs, but --

• Did you know that one CFL light bulb uses 75% less energy, lasts up to 10 times longer, and can save 500 pounds of coal from being burned?
• Did you know that the United States alone goes through 2.5 million water bottles per hour and that 77% of these bottles end up in landfills?
• Did you know that Nike has a program that reuses old sneakers and converts them into new sports surfaces (running tracks, basketball and tennis courts, playground surfaces, etc.)?

These are some of the amazing facts that district-wide fifth grade students learned from a program called “Kids Going Green,” coordinated by Mrs. Stephanie Foran, Enrichment Teacher. The students attended the assembly last Wednesday.

“Kids Going Green” was 100% funded by the City of Woodbury through the Clean Communities Grant. Presented with expert knowledge and impressive energy by Michele Van Allen, of Jack Branagan’s Earth Matters, this program focused on educating students on concepts like fossil fuels and greenhouse gases while offering practical ways to reduce our carbon footprint and work towards creating a better environment.

We were fortunate to have some city officials present with us in the audience, including Mr. Thomas Dukelow, Clean Communities Co-Coordinator and Director of Parks & Recreation, Councilwoman Gwendolyn Brown, and Councilman Harry Trout.

Although Mr. Robert Law, Woodbury’s Chief Financial Officer/Deputy Administrator and Co-Chair of the Clean Communities Program, could not be present, he has been instrumental in serving as an extremely gracious and helpful point of contact over the past two years. We are very grateful to the City of Woodbury for their generosity and support, and we will keep the message of the program with us as we all work together to help save the earth.

Top 5 Academic All-Stars

Congratulations to the Woodbury High School top five academic scholars. Each was invited to be the guest of the various Gloucester County educational associations as students across the county were celebrated at an “Academic All-Star” banquet held last evening at Auletto’s Catering.

The Woodbury students honored included:

• Scott Bassler: Engineering (Stockton College)
• Stefana Burlacu: Business Administration/Finance (Temple University)
• Megan Kier: Liberal Arts/Mathematics (University of Vermont)
• Oluwatofunmi Oni: Biology/Pre-med (Rutgers University)
• Christian Schoning: International Relations (American University)

H1N1 Flu Information

The "swine flu" (now being referred to as the H1N1) has received so much attention, there is not much more information that we can provide as a school to help educate parents/children. Nevertheless, the school nurses are a good resource if any of you do have specific questions -- do not hesitate to contact any of our four nurses.

Though there now have been a couple of confirmed cases in New Jersey (none in Gloucester County), the reports over the weekend indicate that there is a chance that the strain of flu may be more mild than originally feared. That would obviously be a good thing.

The New Jersey Commissioner of Education, Lucille Davy, did have a conference call for all school superintendent's last Thursday afternoon. During the call, she reviewed information that was provided to schools earlier in the week. We had that information posted on our website, but during the recent upgrade of the site, the posting was "lost."

Therefore, I am printing the NJ Department of Education information below. As you will see, the information here continues to stress good, common-sense hygiene.

NJDOE INFORMATION:

Guidance for School and Childcare Settings
At this time, New Jersey recommends that schools and childcare settings increase education on respiratory hygiene and monitor attendees for acute febrile respiratory illness.

Staff and children (as developmentally appropriate) should all be taught and asked to follow these steps that prevent the transmission of infections such as influenza:

§ Cover your coughs and sneezes.

§ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

§ Wash hands frequently, especially after coughing or sneezing.

§ Stay home if you’re sick, especially with a fever.

School or childcare participants with acute febrile respiratory illness, regardless of travel history, should be sent home according to facilities-established procedures with instructions to stay at home until 24-48 hours after their symptoms resolve. Instructions should be given to seek medical care with worsening of symptoms. At this time, exclusion is not recommended for school or childcare participants who have recently traveled to an affected area and who do not have symptoms.

Disease Reporting and Consultation

To report suspected cases of swine influenza or outbreaks of influenza like illness, please contact the local health department in the jurisdiction in which the school is located.

We are interested in testing individuals presenting with influenza-like illness (fever, cough, sore throat), mild respiratory illness (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea) with or without fever, vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, headache, chills, fatigue, dyspnea and conjunctivitis.

Has had at least one potential exposure within 10 days of symptom onset as listed below:

A.) History of travel to an area where swine influenza H1N1 documented in animals and/or humans (see http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm ); OR

B.) Close contact (within 6 feet) to an ill patient who was confirmed or suspected to have swine influenza; OR

C.) Close contact (within 6 feet) to an ill patient who has traveled to one of the areas above; OR

D.) Recent exposure to pigs; OR

E.) Works with live influenza virus in a laboratory.

For More Information :

U.S. CDC Swine Influenza Website:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/

Infection control and treatment guidance: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/recommendations.htmhttp://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

http://www.state.nj.us/health

School and/or Day Care Specific Resources

All you have to do is wash your hands Podcast: This Podcast teaches children how and when to wash their hands properly.

http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=11072

Downloadable Flu Prevention Materials for Schools/Day Cares:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/

Preventing the Spread of Influenza (the Flu) in Child Care Settings: Guidance for Administrators, Care Providers, and Other Staff: Flu recommendations for schools and child care providers http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/childcaresettings.htm

Protecting Against the Flu: Advice for Caregivers of Children Less Than 6 Months Old: Research has shown that children less than 5 years of age are at high risk of serious flu-related complications. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/infantcare.htm

Stopping Germs at Home, Work and School: Fact Sheet http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/home_work_school.htm

Ounce of Prevention: Tips and streaming video for parents and children about the steps and benefits of effective hand washing http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention/

Clean Hands Saves Lives: Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. http://www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/

Hand washing to reduce Disease: Recommendations to Reduce Disease Transmission from Animals in Public Settings http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5605a4.htm

BAM! Body and Mind. Teacher's Corner: In this activity, students will conduct an experiment on washing their hands. They will learn that "clean" hands may not be so clean after all and the critical importance of washing their hands as a way to prevent the spread of disease. http://www.bam.gov/teachers/epidemiology_hand_wash.html

CDC TV - Put Your Hands Together: (Video) Scientists estimate that people are not washing their hands often or well enough and may transmit up to 80% of all infections by their hands. http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/HandsTogether/

Cover your Cough Posters: Stop the Spread of Germs that Make You and Others Sick! Printable formats of "Cover Your Cough". Posters only available as PDF files. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm

CDC - Be a Germ Stopper: Posters and Materials: For Community and Public Settings Like Schools and Child Care Facilities). Cover Your Cough also available for health care settings. http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/materials.htm

"It's a SNAP" Toolkit Program materials to help prevent school absenteeism activities for school administrators, teachers, students and others can do to help stop the spread of germs in schools.
See the hand cleaning section of the "It's a SNAP" site at www.itsasnap.org/snap/about.asp.

Scrub Club http://www.scrubclub.org/Kids can learn about health and hygiene and become members of the Scrub Club(tm) at www.scrubclub.org. The site features a fun and educational animated Webisode with seven "soaper-heros" who battle nasty villains who represent germs and bacteria. Kids learn the six key steps to proper hand-washing through a webisode, hand-washing song, interactive games, and activities for kids, and educational materials for teachers are also available to download.

Check It Out -- A New Look

Some of you get to this blog through the district's main website. For you, this information will not be new. You will have already noticed that our website has undergone some significant changes.

You may recall that our webmaster, Jim Krauss, was soliciting ideas for change a while back. These suggestions, along with some ideas that were generated internally, have resulted in the reworking of our site.

There is a brief introduction to the new look on the front page. The most significant, obvious change is the new calendar feature that has a color coded process for identifying specific school events -- WE blue, EV green, WA maroon, and the JR-SR HS gold. If you click on the day of the week on the calendar, you will get a single day view. You can also get a whole-month's perspective by clicking on the name of the month. Each school building's administrator now has easy access to the calendar system to provide ready updates to this information.

I hope that the other changes make sense to you. Obviously, we will continue to monitor suggestions and look to always provide the most user-friendly format.

Enjoy!

There is a link to the site off to the right-hand side of this page.